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Injuries mounting for FSU on offense

Florida State senior running back Jermaine Thomas of Jacksonville has gotten only four carries this season, two years after leading the team in rushing.

Florida State's offense, especially at wide receiver, has been hit hard by injuries in the first three games of the season.

First things first … FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said quarterback EJ Manuel is having an MRI performed on his left shoulder Monday and his ability to play against Clemson Saturday in FSU's ACC opener may depend on Manuel's "pain tolerance."

"It's a medium-grade thing," Fisher said Monday morning of Manuel's injury, to his non-throwing shoulder. "I've had a couple of those in my [college] career and they're painful."

Fisher also said the team has lost yet another wide receiver to injury. Jarred Haggins broke his hand sometime during the game (Fisher said Haggins couldn't pin-point the exact play) and will be out against Clemson.

The Seminoles also aren't counting on Willie Haulstead, who has missed three games with a concussion and has yet to be cleared because of his response to neurological tests established in recent years to evaluate concussion victims. Kenny Shaw, who was hit hard by two Sooner defenders during the game, will be day-to-day and Fisher said Shaw is actually passing those concussion-related tests better than Haulstead.

Bert Reed, who missed Saturday's game because of an ankle injury, also is a day-to-day situation. Fisher said he didn't play Reed against Oklahoma because he was only about "80 percent," mostly involving Reed's ability to make cuts.

"That speed is Bert's game, and he didn't have it," Fisher said.

That's four wide receivers that are either out or doubtful for the Clemson game. The good news for FSU is that freshmen WR Rashad Greene (six catches, four for touchdowns) and TE Nick O'Leary are emerging well.

With the injuries at wide receiver, the Seminoles likely will need to run the ball much better against Clemson. But FSU running backs are averaging only 73 yards per game in the first three games and senior Jermaine Thomas of Jacksonville has only four carries this season — all in game 2 against Charleston Southern.

"We have to block better and be consistent," Fisher said. "We've got to be better, line up and be able to run the football and take pressure off the quarterback."

Of Thomas, who played at First Coast High and was FSU's leading rusher in 2009, Fisher said, "Jermaine will get some time."